One of the earliest sources of humanity's religious impulse was severe weather, which ancient peoples attributed to the wrath of storm gods. Enlightenment thinkers derided such beliefs as superstition, but in America, scientific and theological hubris came face-to-face with the tornado, nature's most violent windstorm. In this groundbreaking history, Peter J. Thuesen traces the primal connections between weather and religion in the United States. He shows that tornadoes and other storms have repeatedly drawn Americans into the profoundest of religious mysteries and confronted them with the question of their own destiny--how much is self-determined and how much is beyond human understanding or control.

When a powerful EF-4 tornado with winds in excess of 200 miles per hour slammed the Union University campus on February 5, 2008, destroying eighteen dormitory buildings and causing $40 million in damage, the immediate assumption was that dozens if not hundreds of lives would have been lost. Miraculously, nobody died, and the next morning major media outlets flocked to Jackson, Tennessee, where Union students and faculty credited God for their survival and got to share their faith with millions worldwide. God in the Whirlwind recounts the entire experience through twenty eye-of-the-storm accounts from those who saw the walls and ceilings crashing down upon them and felt their ears pop as the pressure dropped, from anxious parents who waited for their child’s call, and from Union leaders who marvel at the university’s unbroken spirit in the face of such devastation. This inspiring book also includes eighty photographs that visualize God’s mighty hand upon nature and his gentle hand of grace.

Adventures, friendships, and faith-testers . . . all under the watchful eye of a great big God. The Tree Street Kids live on Cherry, Oak, Maple, and Pine, but their 1990s suburban neighborhood is more than just quiet, tree-lined streets. Jack, Ellison, Roger, and Ruthie face challenges and find adventures in every creek and cul-de-sac—as well as God’s great love in one small neighborhood. In the first book of the Tree Street Kids series, 10-year-old Jack is shocked to discover his parents are moving from their rural homestead to the boring suburbs of Chicago. Full of energy and determination, Jack devises a plan to get himself back to his beloved farmhouse forever. Only three things stand in his way: a neighbor in need, a shocking discovery, and tornado season. Will Jack find a solution? Or is God up to something bigger than Jack can possibly imagine?

With 16 pages of black-and-white illustrations In Storm Kings, Lee Sandlin retraces America's fascination and unique relationship to tornadoes and the weather. From Ben Franklin's early experiments, to "the great storm debates" of the nineteenth century, to heartland life in the early twentieth century, Sandlin shows how tornado chasing helped foster the birth of meteorology, recreating with vivid descriptions some of the most devastating storms in America's history. Drawing on memoirs, letters, eyewitness testimonies, and numerous archives, Sandlin brings to life the forgotten characters and scientists that changed a nation and how successive generations came to understand and finally coexist with the spiraling menace that could erase lives and whole towns in an instant.

In an easy-to-read text, this book examines the growing scientific evidence that is challenging Darwin's theory of evolution: lack of transitional forms in the fossil record; the impossibility of mutations (almost universally destructive) serving as evolutionary building blocks; the flawed logic of natural selection theory; the stunning lack of evidence for ape-men; the mathematic impossibility of life beginning by itself; and much more. Also explores the damaging effect societal impact of Darwinism, and examines how Inherit the Wind grossly misled Americans about the Scopes trial. Addresses the ever-vital question: Are we here by chance or are we created by God? Indexed, over 80 illustrations, hundreds of quotes from scientists.ENDORSEMENTSDR. DUANE T. GISH, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH: "Tornado in a Junkyard by James Perloff should be in the library of every one who is interested in the subject of origins. This book is a powerful argument for creation because it is thorough, fully documented, and scientifically accurate. It is easily readable by scientist and layman alike, and is written in a popular style that will make it interesting and entertaining for readers of all ages. I highly recommend this book."PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY, 8-30-99: "James Perloff's intriguing Tornado in a Junkyard aims to debunk evolutionary theory in favor of creationism. Perloff, a former contributing editor to the New American, draws upon the work of neo-Darwinists and geneticists to argue that 'while microevolution does occur--meaning minor adaptations and variations within a species, ' there is no solid evidence for macroevolution, or conversion of one animal type into another."DR. EMMETT L. WILLIAMS, PRESIDENT, CREATION RESEARCH SOCIETY: "Tornado in a Junkyard is a unique presentation of the scientific case against Darwinism, informally written for laymen. If you are looking for a user-friendly explanation of the facts supporting creation, this book is for you."CONSERVATIVE BOOK CLUB, 12-99: "James Perloff brings all the data together in a volume readily accessible to nonscientific types. His conclusion, carefully drawn: science contradicts Darwinism. . . . Perloff's style, unusually lively, makes Tornado in a Junkyard entertaining as well as educational."ACTOR JACK LEMMON, WHO PLAYED CLARENCE DARROW IN THE 1999 FILM VERSION OF INHERIT THE WIND: "My congratulations to Mr. Perloff for an outstanding piece of work."HOMESCHOOLING TODAY, JAN/FEB-2000: "Why another 'anti-evolution' book? Because Tornado in a Junkyard is different. Author James Perloff, a former fanatical atheist and anti-creationist, understands the other side's point of view. He presents facts that logically disprove Darwinism and unveils the many frauds and lies perpetrated by Darwinists that the public accepts as unshakeable scientific fact."ELLEN MYERS, CREATION RESOURCE LIBRARY, WICHITA, KANSAS: "I've been heavily involved in the creationist movement for many years and am familiar with most of the facts cited in Tornado. However, the racy style, the many excellent photos, and especially the less known details and extensive documentation will now make Tornado my resource of choice in my work."THE NEW AMERICAN, 9-13-99: "Perloff demonstrates--in this reviewer's opinion conclusively--that scientific evidence, when examined honestly, does not support modern Darwinism, but actually contradicts it. . . . This is a very important work, written in an informal and attractive style that is a joy to read."VICKI BRADY, HOST, "HOMESCHOOLING USA": "With so many books out on the evolution/creation debate it is getting hard to choose from good, better and best. James' book falls in the best category. I recommend that every homeschool family and church have a copy for their libraries."CHRISTIAN NEWS, 9-27-99: "Christian News highly recommends Tornado in a Junkyard.

From the bestselling author of The Day of the Jackal, international master of intrigue Frederick Forsyth, comes a thriller that brilliantly blends fact with fiction for one of this summer’s—or any season’s—most explosive reads! From the behind-the-scenes decision-making of the Allies to the secret meetings of Saddam Hussein’s war cabinet, from the brave American fliers running their dangerous missions over Iraq to the heroic young spy planted deep in the heart of Baghdad, Forsyth’s incomparable storytelling skill keeps the suspense at a breakneck pace. Somewhere in Baghdad is the mysterious “Jericho,” the traitor who is willing—for a price—to reveal what is going on in the high councils of the Iraqi dictator. But Saddam’s ultimate weapon has been kept secret even from his most trusted advisers, and the nightmare scenario that haunts General Schwarzkopf and his colleagues is suddenly imminent, unless somehow, the spy can locate that weapon—The Fist of God—in time. Peopled with vivid characters, brilliantly displaying Forsyth’s incomparable, knowledge of intelligence operations and tradecraft, moving back and forth between Washington and London, Baghdad and Kuwait, desert vastnesses and city bazaars, this breathtaking novel is an utterly convincing story of what may actually have happened behind the headlines.

"Five-year-old Daisy Gonzalez's father is always waiting for her at the bus stop. But today, he isn't, and Daisy disappears. When Daisy goes missing, nearly everyone in town suspects or knows something different about what happened. And they also know a lot about each other. The immigrants who work in the dairy farm know their employers' secrets. The hairdresser knows everything except what's happening in her own backyard. And the roadkill collector knows love and heartbreak more than anyone would ever expect. They are all connected, in ways small and profound, open and secret"--